NEO-ANGONO ARTISTS COLLECTED!!!

This was the statement I released on November 6, when I finally could not take the attacks on the NPC by my FORMER friends in Angono.



"For days I kept silent and listened as to how a group of opportunists
vilified and demonized my revered organization. These ingrates muddled
and manipulated all issues in their favor with well-rehearsed rhetoric
and dramatics. Now, it's time that I talk and set the record straight.
Neo-Angono Artists Collective: You are the real enemies of press
freedom and I am declaring you persona non grata. Never set foot on
the hallowed grounds of the NPC until you have apologized!"

This as his opening statement, National Press Club Director Joel Sy
Egco, the project director for the NPC Mural Project, yesterday told
reporters that he would ask the NPC Board to pursue appropriate
charges, including Estafa, against members of the artists group. His
actions,he said, would still be subject to the decision of the NPC.

"I, representing NPC, had suffered two harrowing and hellish months of
dealing with some unprofessional and rude members of the group. The
NPC, throughout the production phase of the project, had done its part
to the letter. There were delays in payments, yes, because NPC
officials had to dole out funds from their own pockets. Yet, in every
delay, Neo members cursed us. They never listened to reason. They
never got to understand the rarest glory that was at hand for them,"
Egco said.

He added: "What we expected as a harmonious relationship with them
turned out into our worst nightmare. We paid them religiously to do
the job. But when they finally got the last payment, they ran away and
left the job undone. The NPC gave them enough time and room to make
the final improvements but they refused and arrogantly turned the
invitation down. Para po sa kaalaman ng lahat, ako po ay nagmakaawa sa
kanila, nagsumamo at naglumuhod para lamang magpadala sila ng isa o
dalawang pintor na mag aayos sana sa mural. Sinabihan ko pa sila na
kung maari sila ay aming susunduin kung hindi man sila'y maaring
umarkila ng sasakyan at babayaran naming lahat. Hindi po sila sumunod
at sinabing tapos na ang trabaho."

Based on their agreement, Egco said the decision to declare the mural
"finish" should be mutually agreed upon by both parties. He stressed
that the artist group erred when they failed to respect their
agreement. Saying his next moves will be "his personal quest for
justice," Egco shared NPC President Roy Mabasa's observation that the
mural was tainted with "political issues and symbols."

"Kami po ay nagkomisyon ng isang mural upang ipakita ang kasalukuyang
lagay ng kalayaan sa pamamahayag sa bansa. It was a very noble
intention. Nararapat lamang po na expression din namin ang Makita sa
mural hindi lamang expression nila. Ang Neo ang tunay na kalaban ng
malayang pamamahayag. When we tried to talk, they refused to listen.
They silenced us. They censored us. Nilagyan po nila ng mga simbolong
pulitikal ang mural tulad ng sa isyu ng Human Security Act at ang
pagkawala ni Jonas Burgos at kung ano-ano pa. Yung lang maliliit na
bagay na iyon ang ninais naming maituwid ngunit hanggang sa huli po ay
winalangya nila kami. Hindi po nila kami pinakinggan at iginalang
bilang mga taong nagkomisyon sa kanila. To me, that was the height of
ingratitude and arrogance. Kung tumupad lamang po sila sa usapan hindi
sana nagkaganito. In the end, they should be the ones to blame and for
that they should be the punished," the NPC official stressed.

He recalled that when the mural was first delivered on October 23, the
artists "hostaged" the mural. Egco said the simple hostage situation
ended a "kidnapping."

"Dumating po kami noong umagang iyon. Ang sabi po nila sa akin,
kaliwaan tayo dahil iyon ang usapan. Sinabi po nila na sa bangko kami
magkitakita bago ibaba ang mural. I told them sarado pa ang bangko.
Mayron kami dito P100,000 mamaya ko bibigay ang kulang dahil
naghahanap pa ng pera. Ang sabi po nila sa akin, sige hanggang alas
dose lang kami kundi aalis na kami at di niyo makikita mural hanggat
di kayo bayad. Pumayag po ako dahil parating na ang pera mula sa isang
NPC director."

"Laking gulat na lamang po namin ng bandang alas 10:30 a.m. isinakay
po nila ang mural sa kanilang trak at nagsimulang umalis. Napahiya po
ako sa lahat ng taong nakasaksi. Tinawagan ko po sila at nagmakaawa na
bumalik dahil padating na ang pera at wala pang alas dose tulad ng
usapan. Nagimbal po ako sa isinagot sa akin, 'Hindi ninyo makukuha ang
mural hanggat di bayad. Ideposito ninyo ang kwarta sa bangko namin
bago kami bumalik diyan. At dagdagan ninyo ng P20,000 pa dahil inabala
niyo kami. Para pong kidnapping ang nangyari. At noon ngang dumaang
araw naverify po nila ang deposito kaya dinala na nila ang mural. Ang
halagang P20,000 ay bumaba sa P15,000," Egco narrated.

"They themselves knew that the agreement was cash on delivery. By
hostaging the mural and demanding that we make the deposit first, they
violated it," Egco said.

He stressed that NPC had been religious in its dealings with the group
up to the last moment. Despite the humiliation the NPC suffered, its
officers decided to address the issue with diplomacy.

"Mayron po kaming mother contract. Paano nila masasabing tapos na ang
trabaho eh wala sila ni isang kopya ng kontrata. Naramdaman ko na po
ang kawalanghiyaan nila noong Agosto. They tricked me into signing an
addendum to the contract which favored them. Lest I signed, they will
not start the job. And so I did even without referring the same to the
NPC Board," Egco further narrated.

Egco claimed the contract was overpriced upon the insistence of Neo-Angono artists.
Being long known friends and because the NPC needed to have the job
done in time for the anniversary celebration, he yielded.

"Pumayag po ako sa halagang P900,000 dahil sa isang noble intention ng
grupo na tumulong sa isang kaibigan na ang ina ay may malubhang
karamdaman. Natulungan po nila ang taong iyon at malaki ang pasalamat
sa kanila. Pangalawa, pumayag ako sa malaking halaga sapagkat sabi
nila kailangan ng pera para sa kanilang Public Art Festival ngayong
Nobyembre at maraming utang na dapat bayaran. Lahat po ng hiniling nila ay pinagbigyan namin sa pamamagitan ko. Diretsahan ko pong sinasabi na overpriced ang mural
kung ibabase sa halaga ng Armed Forces of the Philippines mural na nakasabit sa AFP
Medical center sa V Luna na sila rin ang gumawa at may sukat na 10
feet by 20 feet ay nagkahalaga lamang ng P130,000. I am very much sure
of it because I was the one who commissioned them. Doblehin man natin
ang halaga noon ngayon ay aabot lamang sa kulang P300,000," Egco
disclosed.

"I tell Neo Angono now. You have nothing on me and asked nothing from
you for my own profit and you know it. I warn you against maligning my
person for I will not hesitate to slap you with more charges. I had
sided with you before out of respect for your rights. Now it is time
for us your victims to speak and to let everyone know about your
devious character which led to the controversy that you are now
harping on at our expense. We regret that we gave you the contract. I
know there are better artists in Angono to whom the contract should
have been awarded. Sobrang kagarapalan at kakapalan ng mukha na iyan.
You have done so many violations. You attacked us. You maligned us.
The very institution that fed you for two months. And what did you do?
You did not only bite but ravaged the hand that fed you. And for all
the sins you have committed against us, you will have to pay and I
shall surely see you in court."

"Lastly, like an architect paid to design a house, you have no right
to complain. The right to suggest you have but the NPC being the owner
of the house- the owner of the mural- you have no right to claim
ownership over it. The mural is ours. We have every right over it. It
was supposed to contain our expression of press freedom. But you
stepped over us and even maligned us. You are the worst kind of
ingrates the world has ever seen," Egco said.
END